Gene Simmons at 64: What He Says about Replacing Ace and Peter in Kiss

Happy (belated) birthday to Gene Simmons!

He was born Chaim Witz on August 25, 1949 in Tirat HarCarmel, Israel.

Recently he was quoted on the band's replacing Ace Frehley and Peter Criss.

Here's what he had to say at somethingelsereviews.com:

“Two of the original guys who started off were equally as important as Paul and myself...but if original members are what it’s all about, you would never have seen the Beatles — because Ringo (Starr) was not an original member; Pete Best was.

You like AC/DC? That ain’t the lead singer. Van Halen became twice as big with Van Hagar, whether you like it or not. Journey, the Rolling Stones — you like those bands? Not the original members. You say Genesis can’t exist without Peter Gabriel? Actually, they can."

Kiss heads to Japan on tour this fall.